Sheet turning device



April 26, 1932. A. BROADMEYER 1,8535%21 SHEET TURNING DEVICE Filed June 10, 192'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 26, 1932. A. BROADMEYER SHEET TURNING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10 1927 Awe/13m A. BROADMEYER 1,855,821

SHEET TURNING DEVICE A ril 26, 1932.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 10. 1927 E lerifiroadme en abtozmq Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT BROADIvIEYER, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T THE H. O.

HICKOK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 01" EARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A .COR-

IPORATION 'OF PENNSYLVANIA SHEET TURNING DEVICE Application filed June 10,

The present invention relates to means for controlling the movement of sheets, as for example in their passage through instrumentalities or apparatus for operating on the sheets, the feeding of such sheets to such mechanisms, or their transfer from one to the other, etc.

The object is to provide mechanism of a simple and effective character that is controlled by the sheet itself, so that the operation of the mechanism is dependent on the presence of the sheet and is thus timed by the sheet on its arrival at a predetermined point.

The present embodiment of the invention is in connection with a ruling machine of the L-type, said invention forming the mechanism for starting the sheets out of the corner or from the delivery mechanism of the first ruling apparatus to the feeding means of the second ruling apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 1s a plan vlew somewhat diagrammatic in its character of an L-rulmg machine,

showing the novel mechanism in place there- Figure 2 is a rear side elevation of the first half or first ruling apparatus, to

Figure 3 is a similar view of the second 1,. half or second ruling apparatus,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the transfer mechanism,

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the sheet controlled vent,

Figure 6 is a face view of the means f0 varying the vent pressure,

50 ried beneath the ruling devices 10 by a con- The 1927. Serial No. 197,977.

veyor 12. The sheets in turn are carried beneath the ruling mechanism as indicated at 13, and thence on to conveyor tapes 14. The drive of the apparatus is shown in the form of an electric motor 15, having a changespeed gearing connection 16 with a train of gears 17 that operate the usual pen .beam or cam shaft 18.

The second machine'9 may be a substantial duplication of the first machine, having a gate 19 and pen beams indicated at 20. It is preferably driven by a shaft 21 geared as shown at 22 in Figure 2 to the gearing of the first *machine. The drive .shaft 21 through a train of change speed gears '23, drives as shown in Figure 3 a pen cylinder or cam shaft 24 that controls the operation of the gate 19 and pen beams in a wellknown manner. Atoboggan 25, "formed of tapes, "serves as a'feeder for the second machine and the tapes25 move at right angles to the tapes 14.

The means for causing the transfer of the sheets from the tapes l4 tothetapes 25 constitutes the essential feature ofthe present invention.

A shaft 26 (Fig. 1) is located longitudinally of the tapes 14 at one side of the same and is parallel to a roller '27, around which the tapes25 pass. The shaft *26 and roller 27 are driven in unison by sprocket gearing 28, and the roller .27 in turn is driven byfa sprocket chain 29, the speed of which canbe changed by altering the gearing23 (Fig. On'the shaft 26 is a conveyor member in the form of a. starting roller 30,the frontend of which, or in other words the end facing'the oncoming sheets carried by the tapes 14, is bevelechas shown at "31. Extending across the tapes 14 and intersecting the path of the sheets carried by said tapes, is a stop bar 32 which as is usual in these structures and as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, is adjustable along the tapes 14, being mounted on a "carriage 83 that in turn is connected to an adjusting chain 34.

Secured to the stop bar 32 is a bracket35, (Fig. 4) in which is journaled a'rock shaft 86. This rock shaft carries a crank arm 37, on whichis 'journaled a gripping roller 38.

\ tion. being fed successively through the first rul- The roller 38 is capable of swinging downwardly into coaction with the starting roller and upwardly out of coaction therewith. To this end the rock shaft 36 is provided with another crank arm 39 connected by a link 40 with the rod 41 of a piston 42. The piston is located in a cylinder 43, mounted as shown at 4A on the stop bar 32. A third crank arm 45, secured to the rock shaft 36, has connected thereto a spring 46 that resists the movement of the piston 42 in one direction. The said piston 42 and cylinder 43 constitute a pneumatic motor of the suction type. v

Connected to the rear end of the cylinder 43'is a suction conduit a7, having at its rear end a T-coupling 48. To one end of said coupling 48 is fitted a flexible suction hose 49 that leads to the intake end of an exhaust pump 50 (Fig. 1) driven through gearing 51 from the drive gearing of the first machine. The other end of the T-coupling 48 (Fig. l) has connected thereto a flexible vent conduit 52 leading to a relief nozzle 53 adjustably bracketed as shown at 54: on the stop bar 32.

On the lower end of the nozzle 53 is a forwardly extending upwardly curved shoe 55 provided with one or more vent ports 56 (Fig. 7) therethrough that are in communication with the interior of the nozzle 53 (Fig. 5). Said nozzle is furthermore provided in one side with a series of intake ports 57 that may be more or less closed by a rotatable controlling disk 58 having ports 59 adapted to move into and out of alinement with the ports 57. This provides means for varying the force of the air suction that acts on the motor 42l3.

The operation of the mechanism is substantially as follows. Assuming the apparatuses are in motion, as long as the relief ports 56 are open, the pneumatic motor 424c3 is idle and the spring 46 is acting to hold the gripping roller 38 elevated or in an idle posi- Assuming, however, that sheets are ing apparatus 8, these sheets will be successively delivered from such apparatus by the tapes 14. lVhenever a sheet is carried upon said tapes, it will strike and be stopped by the bar 32. Obviously this will carry the margin of the sheet between the starting roller 30 and the gripping roller 38, the roller 38, as already explained, being in its elevated position, but as the sheet is brought up into contact with the stop bar 32, it will also be brought beneath the shoe 55 and across the re lief ports 56, as illustrated in Figure 5, a portion of a sheet being there shown at A. hen this occurs, the intake of air through the ports 56 is prohibited, and as a consequence air will be exhausted from the rear end of the cylinder 43, causing the piston 42 to retreat to that end. This, as will be clear by reference to Figure 4, will swing the arm 39, rocking the shaft 36, and causing the gripping roller 38 to move downwardly, thus carrying the margin of the sheet into active contact with the roller 30. The roller 30 is constantly rotating and consequently the sheet will be gripped, and started in a direction at right angles to the conveyor tapes 14, until it is caught by the toboggan tapes 25 (Figs. 1 and 3) and carried up into the second ruling apparatus 9. It will be noted that this transfer mechanism being all mounted on the stop bar 32, is adjustable with the same, so that the mechanism can be properly placed according to the size of the sheet to be operated on. Moreover the force of the suction through the ports 56 can be varied by adjusting the disk 58, so that the mechanism will successfully operate whether the sheets are very heavy or very thin. More over it will be noted that this mechanism is operative irrespective of the surface speed of the starting roller 30, so that said starting roller may be run at different speeds in order that sheets of different sizes will be properly spaced and properly fed to the second mechanism.

Vfith this structure, it will be evident that the operation of the feeding mechanism is not dependent primarily on the driving apparatus of either the first or second machine, but is under the control of the sheet itself, so that whether sheets be spaced far apart or close together, whether they lag in their travel, or are advanced, whenever a sheet comes into position, it controls its own start into the second apparatus.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim, is:

1. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a first and a second instrumentality for successively operating on sheets, of means controlled by the sheets delivered from the first instrumentality for feeding said sheets to the second instrumentality, and means for delivering the sheets from the first instrumentality and stopping them in a predetermined position for operation on by said feeding means.

2. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a first and a second instrumentality for successively operating on sheets, of means for feeding to the second instrumentality sheets that have been operated on by the first instrumentality, mechanism controlled by the sheets for making said feeding means operative to move the sheets, and means for delivering the sheets to and stopping them in a predetermined position with respect to the feeding means and controlling mechanism.

3. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a first and a second instrumentality, for successively operating on sheets, of means for feeding to the second instrumentality sheets that have been operated on by the first instrumentality, mechanism controlled by each sheet to be fed to cause the feeding means to move said sheet, and means for delivering the sheets to and stopping them in a predetermined position with respect to the feeding means and controlling mechanism.

4. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a first and second instrumentality for successively operating on sheets, of a conveyor for delivering sheets from the first instrumentality, a stop for the sheets delivered by the conveyor, a conveyor for feeding the delivered sheets to the second instrumentality, and mechanism controlled by the sheets carried by the delivery conveyor and brought against the stop for starting said sheets on the feeding conveyor.

5. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a first and a second instrumentality for successively operating on sheets, of a conveyor for delivering sheets from the first instrumentality, a conveyor for feeding the delivered sheets to the second instrumentality, and pneumatically operated mechanism having its pneumatic pressure controlled by the sheets carried by the delivery conveyor for starting said sheets on the feeding conveyor.

6. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a first and a second instrumentality for successively operating on sheets, of a conveyor for delivering sheets operated on by the first instrumentality, a conveyor for feeding such sheets to the second instrumentality including a roller and normally inactive actuating means for causing said roller to actively engage the sheets, and means controlled by the sheets delivered from the first instrumentality to set the actuating means in motion and cause the roller to start them to the second instrumentality.

7 In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a first and a second instrumentality for successively operating on sheets, of a conveyor for delivering sheets operated on by the first instrumentality, a conveyor for feeding such sheets to the sec ond instrumentality, including a roller and a device for causing said roller to actively engage the sheets, a normally inactive motor for operating said device, and mechanism controlled by the sheets for effecting the operation of the motor.

8. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a first and a second instrumentality for successively operating on sheets, of a conveyor for delivering sheets operated on by the first instrumentality, a conveyor for feeding such sheets to the second instrumentality,including a roller and a device for causing said roller to actively engage the sheets, a pneumatic motor for 0 crating the device, and a vent for normally maintaining the motor inactive, said vent being controlled by the sheets delivered from the first instrumentality.

9. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a first and a second instrumentality for successively operating on a stream of successive sheets, of a conveyor for feeding sheets operated on by the first instrumentality to the second instrumenta1ity, including a movable sheet engaging member, and a movable gripping device coacting with the member, a pneumatic motor for moving the gripping device, a suction mechanism connected to the motor and including a relief port, and a conveyor for delivering sheets from the first instrumentality and carrying the same between the member and gripping device andto a position to close therelief port. i

10. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a first and a second instrumentality for successively operating on a stream of successive sheets, of a conveyor for feeding sheets operatedion' by the first instrumentality to the second instrumentality, including a conveyor roller, a gripping roller movable into and out ofcoaction with the conveyor roller, a pneumatic motor for moving the gripping roller, a suction mecha nism connected to'the motor and including a relief port, and a conveyor. for delivering sheets from the first instrumentality and carrying the'same between the rollers and simultaneously to a position to close the relief port.

11. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with ruling mechanisms for successively ruling sheets, of a conveyor for delivering sheets from the first ruling mechanism, a conveyor for feeding sheets to the second ruling mechanism, and means controlled by the sheets carried by the delivering conveyor for starting the sheets on the feeding conveyor.

12. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with ruling mechanisms for successively ruling sheets, of a conveyor for delivering sheets from the first ruling mechanism, a conveyor for feeding sheets to the second ruling mechanism, and pneumatically operated means controlled by the sheets 7 carried by the delivering conveyor for starting the sheets on the feeding conveyor.

13. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a first ruling mechanism, and a second ruling mechanism, of a feeding conveyor for the second ruling mechanism, including a sheet starting roller, and

' apparatus,

a gripping roller movable into and out of coaction therewith, a pneumatic motor for thus moving the gripping roller, a suction pump connected to the gripping roller and having a relief port, and a conveyor for directing sheets from the first ruling mechanism to a position between the rollers and across the port to close the same and secure the operation of the pneumatic motor on the gripping roller.

14;. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with angularly disposed ruling apparatuses, of means for delivering the ruled sheets from the first apparatus, means for starting the delivered sheets to the second apparatus, and means controlled by the sheets delivered to cause the starting means to operate on and move said sheets toward the second apparatus.

15. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with angularly disposed ruling apparatuses, of means for delivering the ruled sheets from the first apparatus, means for starting the delivered sheets to the second and pneumatically operated means for causing the starting means to operate on and move said sheets toward the second apparatus, said pneumatic means including a relief port that makes the means inactive and said port being closed by the sheets delivered by the first means.

16. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with angularly disposed ruling apparatuses, of means for delivering the ruled sheets from the first apparatus, means for feeding the sheets so delivered to the second ruling apparatus, mechanism for driving the said feeding means at diiferent rates of speed with respect to the first means, said feeding means including a sheet starting roller over which the delivering means feeds the sheets, a gripping device movable into and out of coaction With the roller, a pneumatic motor for moving the gripping device, and means for creating suction in the motor, said suction means having an air vent that is covered and uncovered by the sheets.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

ALBERT BROADMEYER. 

